In RI 200 sqs is required during bow season to and from treestand and 500 sqs during both deer muzzleloader and all shotgun season (deer/bird) so yes I do. As far as I am concerned it is a good idea even with orange there have been accidents here I do feel that it does help prevent some thats just my opinion though.

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"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
- George Washington

Unless I missed a change in regs - It is strongly encouraged but not required in NY. Personally the family all wears it now but grew up with just Hunter plaid.
I do prefere a blaze orange camo pattern to break up the silouette. NJ requires 200 square inches visible from all sides a hat alone does qualify. Always wear it moving but when sitting I'll sometimes take it off to avoid attention from hikers and dog walkers.

I've always been told that there was a 300 sq/inch requirement. I would have sworn that I even looked it up at one point. Apparently not.

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Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza.
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The problem, as you so eloquently put it, is choice.
-The Architect
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He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.
-Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.

In RI we can't even wear blaze orange with a camo pattern has to be just plain orange. Kinda sucks but its not too bad because all you need is a vest and hat.

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"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
- George Washington

You can spot orange a long ways. Since no critters I know of wear orange, hunters would assume it was another hunter.

Husband of a cowroker was out on his horse in northern NV one year checking on some cattle on an open range - not only was he wearing a blaze orange coveralls, his horse had a blaze orange saddle blanket on him. Some jerk shot his horse out from under him thinking it was a deer. That "hunter" lost a lot that day - his truck, his gun, his freedom, replacement cost of a horse, etc.

Husband of a cowroker was out on his horse in northern NV one year checking on some cattle on an open range - not only was he wearing a blaze orange coveralls, his horse had a blaze orange saddle blanket on him. Some jerk shot his horse out from under him thinking it was a deer. That "hunter" lost a lot that day - his truck, his gun, his freedom, replacement cost of a horse, etc.

NEVER assume anything.

You are correct that one should never assume they are safe because they are wearing blaze orange.

As I said in post 16 of this thread, yes I wear it, partly because it's required in Missouri during firearms deer season if you are hunting.
But I also wear it when out on a horse during deer season.

However I'm well aware that blaze orange does not protect me from stupididy.

I recall one year my brother and I were hunting on a piece of private ground that had public hunting land on three sides of it and yes we had our blaze orange hat and vest on.
Along about noon my brother came up to wear I was and we took a break to eat our lunch in the field.

We are sitting by this big tree and my brother looks through his binoculars and informs me there's some idiot looking through his rifle scope at us.

I told my brother to get behind the tree and I slipped down into a draw, came up behind stupid and ask him what the hell he thought he was doing.
He said he was looking through his scope to see what was out there.
I said yea and you are pointing a loaded rifle at me and my brother. Then I told him those kind of stupid tactics is what gets people killed every year and that he needs to go to Walmart and pick up a pair of binoculars if he wants to be gawking around the country side.

I also made it quite clear that it would be in his best interest to never be pointing a loaded gun at me again.

I have worn blaze orange for over fifty years during hunting season. Animals are not afraid of the color nor do they see it well. Most all animals see everything in black and white for the most part -- sort of like a black and white photograph. (Over simplified a bit, but that is the gist of it).

Deer have walked up to within 10 feet of me without seeing me so long as I didn't move. I have seen full camo clothed hunters go the whole season without seeing any deer primarily because they don't know how to break up their silohuettes or how to stand still.

In sum: blaze orange gives an increased level of safety from other hunters, but of course it is not fool proof. Blaze orange does not alarm the prey.

Funny thing is, my sister gave me a really nice, I mean really nice, Columbia upland hunting vest that is predominantly orange except for khaki patches on it, and I have yet to have a chance to wear it.

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NRA Life Member
Ladyfriend: "I need help with the leaves in the yard"
Me: "Controlled burn?"
LadyFriend: "I forgot my Boy Scout turned into an infantry officer."

I may be over sensitive, as I knew one of the statistics. I'm out of there more than 31 years, but I remember how it was. Now you know why they hassle you about the blaze orange. We used to wear red. I'm not sure it was as effective as the orange with the massive square inch requirement.

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